Beating the drum for Ringo's house

John Harris, if a true "Beatles obsessive" (Comment, 4 January), would be compelled to come out in favour of saving the birthplace of one of our nation's iconic musical personalities. It should be preserved in situ and become an integral part of the Beatles trail. He seems to think the house should be razed because Ringo Starr was only the drummer. This is strange debating material. Take away the drummer from any band and what are you left with? The Who minus Keith Moon, Led Zep minus John Bonham? Drumming is the foundation stone of any decent four-piece band. I work in a community that welcomes young people as co-workers from as far afield as South Korea, Colombia, Brazil, Israel and Ukraine. Most of them adore the Beatles' music and everything associated with it. It has a tremendous, unifying effect. The Beatles are now the stuff of myth.

As to the wishes of local people, they ought to be better respected, and a series of meetings should be arranged where opinions, facts and ideas can be exchanged. This is the way forward.

Andrew Spacey

Chapelthorpe, Wakefield

• So "Grant Shapps, the housing minister, has asked Liverpool city council to postpone the demolition" of 9 Madryn Street. Residents of the Welsh Streets have repeatedly supported demolition – filling the town hall to protest against attempts to prevent demolition. Are they right? That's a matter of opinion, but theirs is clear. So it's no surprise to find a Tory minister, who claims to believe in devolving power, deciding he knows better than Liverpool people. "Big society" to Big Brother in six months.